MPs reject extended Sunday Trading

MPs from all parties have rejected the complete relaxation of Sunday trading hours in a survey for retail union Usdaw.

The survey, conducted by independent analysts Communicate Research, found that 78% of MPs questioned rejected the idea that Sunday trading should be liberalised completely.

There was almost uniform support from Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem MPs, as well as other smaller parties at Westminster.

This is a massive thumbs down to the idea that there is widespread support at Westminster for any relaxation of the present six hours that large stores can open on a Sunday,Ó said Usdaw general secretary John Hannett.

Nearly two thirds of the Parliamentarians polled said they did not believe the present Sunday trading laws provided effective protection to employees who choose not to work on Sundays.

There is a legal right for staff in retail to opt out of working on Sundays but the MPs have correctly identified that there is a massive problem with actually having the confidence to take up this right,Ó said Hannett.

Our survey discovered the alarming fact that only 11% of our members have the confidence to take up the opt-out and a staggering 62% come under pressure to work on Sundays when they don’t really want to.

Relaxing the Sunday trading laws will only increase pressure on our members and this will seriously affect more vulnerable staff who may not be able to say no, he added.